Vehicle head lamp



April 14, 1931. R. w. JOHNSON VEHICLE HEAD LAMP Filed y 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 14, 1931. w JOHNSON 1,801,047

VEHICLE HEAD LAMP Filed May 25. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnwmtoc Patented Apr. 14, I931 ROY rarest orrlca W. JOHNSON, (3F COLUMBUS, OHIO, ABSIGNOE TO THE JOHN W. BROWN MANU- FACTURING COMPEBNY, OF CQLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO VEHICLE HEAD LAMP Application filed May 25, 1929. Serial No. 866,047.

This invention relates to motor vehicle headlights and has for its primary object the provision of a headlight wherein is provided a separable, novel and effective connection between the lens ring and body of the lamp and which functions to maintain the lens ring in tight fitting relationship with the lamp body for the purpose of securing a neat and eiiective appearance thereof.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a tightening means between the lens ring and the lamp body wherein the lens ring forms a part of the fastening means and which is partly split transversely and capable of being contracted around the open front end of the lamp body and together with means formed with said body, during its circum- 'fcrential contraction, will cause said lens ring to move longitudinally of the lamp body, thus securing the lens ring in place and also simultaneously clamping the gaskets between the lens and the reflector to term an effective seal for excluding dust, moisture and other foreign matter.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a lens ring tightening means which will draw the tra sparent lens evenly into engagement with the sealing gasket posi-' tioned between the lens and the reflector, thereby protecting said lens and preventing injury thereof.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features of 1 construction, combination of elements and arrangement 0t parts hereinal'ter to be fully Figure 6 is a similar view taken on the line indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a bottom plane View of the lamp showing the fastening means for the closure thereof, and

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the vehicle headlamp in its entirety. The headlamp is formed to comprise a sheet metal body 2 of any desired conformation or contour. Formed with the open front of the body 2 is an annular inwardly directed shoulder 3 which, in turn, terminates in a forwardly directed flange 4-, the shoulder 3 and the flange 4t serving to form a seat for the closure structure The flange l is provided at spaced points along its perimeter with struck out lugs 6, which are inwardly directed to jointly form the seat upon which is positioned the out-turned flange 7 formed upon the perimeter of a reflector 8, the latter being positioned as usual within the body 2 of the lamp. Formed also with the flange 4 is a pair of tangs or struck out lugs 9 which are positioned diametrically of each other and overhang the wall 10 of a gasketreceiving groove 11. The wall 10 is formed with spaced notcheslQ in which the lugs 9 are positioned and which serve to prevent axial rotation of the reflectorwith respectto the lamp body.

It will be seen thatby this construction the reflector isffirmly held in place upon the lamp body and that screws or other threaded tastening elementsare eliminated to hold therefiector in place. i

The closure 5 consists of a glass lens 13, the edgesoi" which rest upon a gasket 14 positioned within the groove 11. The lens 13 is carried in anysuitable manner by lens or closure ring 15, the ring being adapted to be seated on the back of flange 4. The inner edge of the ring 15 is curled, as at l6, to engage with the shoulder 3 of the body 2.

It is desirable that atightor close fitting joint shall exist between the inner curled edge 16 01 the ring 15 and the seator shoulderS, in order-that the symmetry of the outline of the headlamp will be preservedandat iii 16 of the lens ring 15. Itwill be seen that in order to initially position and fasten the closure 5 of the body, the closure is moved inwardly in a straight axial direction with respect to the lamp body. This places the curled edge 16 of the lens ring over said enlargement 17 so as to seat said curlededge between the shoulders 18and the annular shoulder 3, the diameter of the lens ring 15, that is, within the rolled edge could be of such size that the edge would snap over the shoulder 18 and thus initially fasten or hold the closure in its seated position on the lamp body. p

To fasten the lens ring securely inv place to the lamp body the same'is split partly transversely at its inner edge to form a slight gap 19 between the meeting ends thereof. Rigidly secured to said meeting ends is a pair of brackets 20 each of which is formed with a downwardly directed lug'21 extending below the lens ring. The lug is perforated and threaded for the reception of a horizontally positioned fastening screw 22. It will be seen that upon the tightening of the screw 22 the lens ring 15 will contract or reduce its diameter thus causing the curled edge 16 to slide rearwardly upon the bevelled shoulder 18 and consequently draw the lens 13 into firm engagement with the gasket 14. The curled edge 16 will tightly engage the shoulder 3 and thus form a tight joint between said lens ring and the lamp body. A shoulder 23 may be formed with the screw 22 with which one strain and distortion of the lens ring. The

lugs 21 may also be oflset slightly to" the rear so that the tightening action of the screw'22 will be directly over the beador rolled edge 16, thus assuring a more complete clamping action thereof. .One of the bracket members 20 has'its inner arm formedwith an upwardly curved projection 24:, which is received within a similarly shaped recess formed inthe outer periphery of the lens 13 for the purpose of preventing axial rotation of the latter with respect to the lens ring 15. To remove the closure the screw 22 is loosened permitting the lens ring to expand and which may thus be disengaged from the enlargement 17 by means of the point of a screw driver or other tool positioned between the rolled edge 16 fore described in the preferred form. The curved wall forming the groove 25 may in this instance be utilized as a seat for the reflector flange 26, and the flange 4 may serve as one of the side walls for the gasket receiving groove. In this, as in the preferred form of the invention, the lens closure is drawn into firm and operative relationship with respect to the lamp body.

In view of the foregoing it will be seen that the tightening of the bolt 22 will result in drawing the reflector, ring and the lens in secured relationship with the casing of the lamp. However, by the provision of the shoulder23 a stop is provided which prevents great strain from being placed on the lens ring and associated parts during the assembling of the lamp. In the event' the screw should become loosened for some cause,

the enlargement 17 and the groove 25 will function to prevent complete disengagement of the-lens closure.

What is claimed is: i

In a headlamp, a body provided at its open end with a shouldered flange, a closure for the open end of said body including'a lens and a lens ring, the latter being provided with a rolled bead and split transversely at its rear edge and continuously at the front edge,

a pair of brackets connecting the split ends of b said ring, threaded fastening means connectmg said brackets, and a plurality of proJections spaced around the circumference of said flange and serving toretain the closure 1n its applied posit on on said flange upon the contraction of said ring by means of said threaded fastening means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my. signature.

ROY JOHNSON.

and the shoulder 3. The complete release of the lens closure may thus be readily effected. In the modified form disclosed in Figure 8, the flange 4: of the body 2 is formed with an annular groove 25 in which the rolled edge 16 is adapted to be securely positioned by the tightening of the lens ring as hereto- 

